Sunshine Wizard Hall, Milele Central District
"The Jia family has just brought in the item."
Within a gigantic hall in the central area of Milele town, a group was gathered around a table discussing the item the Jia Treasure House had just brought in. Each of the people sitting around the table had magnificent and otherworldly auras. It was clear they were not ordinary people. The place these people were gathered was also extraordinary. It was the Sunshine Wizard Hall in Milele town. The hall's design was even more illustrious and exaggerated even when compared to the Jia Treasure House. After all, this place was a wizard hall and the base of Milele town's magic council.
The first speaker was a swordsman who specialized in Sword Magic.
Katakata [Sword Wizard]
A swordsman from the East with a very carefree personality. He was also a wanderer who had travelled across many continents in the Zika world before settling in the Swordscar Continent. So wide were his travels, that he had even been to the Northern Ice Capes, as well as the mysterious Dark Continent, the shining Blue Continent, the Western Desert Lands, and of course the Eastern Islands where he originated. Katakata's homeland was in the Council of 100 Islands to the far east of the Planet Zika.
[A Peak Level Master] – Naturally he was experienced in swordsmanship and magic achieving the peak of the master rank.
"I hear this time the Magic Competition Rewards are on another level. The Grandmaster is going all out from Spirit Potions to a large cash reward, a Magic Beast, and even open recruitment spots into the Wizard Tower. Our Wizard hall must enter the top 10 no matter what!"
This time the speaker was an old man in the hall who was dressed in a gigantic suit of armor made of black rocks. He looked like rock troll in his heavy and clunky armor. This man was one of the 6 Guardians of Milele Town, Jamani Juma Jenga.
Jamani J.J. [The Fifth Guardian]
An experienced Combat Magician specializing in Earth Magic. Extremely skilled in battle and had received great military recognition in the civil war 12 years ago. After his retirement from the army, he focused on furthering his magic skill and advanced to the peak of the Magic Master Realm. After returning to his hometown of Milele, he was given the position of a Guardian.
[A Peak Level Master]
After Jamani spoke, another man seated at the table also added to his point.
"Moreover, the additional reward for the top 3 is too great. The Bird of Heaven! The Izulu is a divine magical beast!"
One of the rewards for the top position in the upcoming magic competition was a baby lightning bird. This bird was a spirit of storms and it could command wind and lightning. Not only was the bird itself sacred, it was said that even its droppings could be used as key ingredients for various powerful potions.
The Izulu bird was described as having glittering red wings with flashing feathers that released lightning and wing beats that produced the sound of thunder. As a sacred creature of the heavens, it brought prosperity and had the ability to dispel evil. After reaching adulthood, the bird would possess the strength of the Void Core Stage at the very least.
"If our hall can obtain the divine bird, it will be equivalent to improving our fate. Once it grows up, it will also showcase its limitless potential and strength. At that point, it might even be possible for our Wizard Hall to rise in ranks among the 18 Wizard Halls. We might even enter the top 3."
As the man spoke, the other magicians at the table got excited just from hearing his words. Although it would be extremely difficult for their candidates to win the top prize, they still had a bit of hope. A 'Bird of Heaven' as a reward was a crazy opportunity for their hall that could take them to the top in a single bound.
However, none of the other magicians at the table knew that the speaker did not state his full thoughts. Unexpectedly, his inner thoughts did not match his words at all. 'If my clan can obtain the Izulu divine bird, our strength, prosperity, and even overall fate will improve tremendously. Our clan will dominate the eastern region and maybe even a large part of the northern region. For the sake of the future, it must be ours no matter what!'
Although the man held treacherous thoughts, he did not show it on his face. This man who dreamt of dominating the East was Uchini Gurudumu, the fourth son of the Burning Wheel Clan's current clan leader.
Uchini Gurudumu [The Illusion Master]
For his clan, Uchini was willing to do anything, including robbing, betraying, and even killing those he viewed as a threat to his people's prosperity. It did not matter whether they were friend or foe. A peculiar fact about him popularized by many who knew him since young was that Uchini had never worn anything but black his entire life. Even when he was a child, his clothes and ornaments had always been black.
[A Peak Level Master]
"I don't care about anything else. I only want The Heavenly Gate Spirit Potion."
A gruff voice spoke echoing throughout the hall. Just from the voice alone, it was clear the owner was not someone to be trifled with. He was a brute going by the name:
Indama [Thousand Man Slaughterer]
Aims to take over the Western Axis. He led his people from the Southern Plains to prosperity in the North. With only a group of 50 warriors, he was able to take down a fortified castle in North Western Toro and resist an army of over a thousand men. Indama was recognized as the nominal leader of the Southern Plains Nomads.
[A Peak Level Master]
While everyone at the table had their own desires concerning the upcoming competition, Indama only desired the almost divine potion said to be capable of opening a warrior's Heavenly Gate. A single potion could shape the internal heavenly path in a warrior or magician's path. For people who were stuck at the peak or edge of one rank, it could open the gateway for them to reach greater heights. Naturally, this was a huge temptation to these Peak Level Masters. The Grandmaster Rank was right in front of them but they could not truly enter the realm.
While no one argued with Indama over the potion, who knew what everyone was thinking. If a candidate from their hall truly got the top position, a battle would probably break out between these experts.
After all, this potion was extremely rare even in the entire planet, let alone a small nation like Toro. It was said that the key ingredient for the potion came from the blood of Indombe the Flaming Serpent. The myths of the Blue Continent said that after she was slaughtered, Indombe left behind several cups-worth of blood. A single droplet of her blood was enough to craft several Heavenly Gate Spirit potions. That was just how divine the serpent was. However, after many millennia, this blood had long run out and the present potions were made with reproduced or cloned blood cells. While it was nowhere near the original in efficiency, it was still a divine potion in every right.
"From the rewards this time, it is clear this is not a minor children's match anymore. In the past, all the kids could win was some money and obviously the magic candy but now they are even winning things they cannot use; things that even get adults like us in a frenzy. What is the Grandmaster planning?"
The speaker this time was a woman dressed in a long peacock patterned feather robe. The robe had beautiful blue, green, and purple feathers. Further, the woman also had some colorful feathers around her ears and jaw, and long black hair tied in a ponytail. Her skin was brown with patterns of blue that looked like ocean waves and her hands were long and skinny. From her physical features, it was clear that she was not all the way human. In fact, Milele was a place where humans, magic beasts, spirit beasts, beastmen, ancient races, earth tribes, and all manner of different creatures coexisted together. This woman was the leader of the Salisali flying agency that specialized in transportation and messenger jobs in and around Milele.
Sali Salama [Matriarch of the Salisali Family]
Whether human, beast-woman, or a transformed spirit or magical creature, no one knows her true identity. The Salisali family which she was in charge off was not an old family but a new one created by flying creatures and humans. Some are transformed birds, others are beast men, and others are humans who have awakened Avian Bloodlines. As a transportation family, speed is naturally important.
[A Peak Level Master]